The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-05-21
Apes as Workers.
~. Y. Sun.

1t was reported by telegraph the other
day that Mr.. Parkes, farmer at King
ston, in Kentucky, had succeeded in
training seven large monkeys or apes to
work in his hemp fields, and to break
and prepare the hemp for market. Mr..
Parkes, according to the dispatch, has
found that they do the work more rap
idly and better than the negroes, and at
one-quarter the cost. The apes, it is
said, were sent to him by brother in
Africa, who had seen them put to SINH
lar uses there, and Mr.. Parkes is so well
satisfied with the results of his expert
ment that he has ordered ten more of
the animals.
Whether this particular story be true
or false, there is no doubt that the more
docile and intelligent of apes have been
instructed to perform work very like
that to which Mr.. Parkes is said to have
trained his seven monkeys after four
months of patient tuition. Nine. Glenn
ence Roger, in recent article in the
Re0ue Scienttfque on the mental facul-
ties of monkeys, shows that they are
well adapted for some kinds of domes-
tic offices and acquit themselves grace
fully in them, and she cites cases where
they have been made exceedingly useful
in the field and other work. Pyrard,
the French traveller of two centuries ago,
says that in his time the colonists of
Sierra Leone employed chimpanzees in
carrying water and beating of mortars,
and Breton has in his Chinese pictures
representation of monkeys gathering
tea leaves on the tops of one of the steep
ridges of CLEANSING. The ancient
Egyptians, too, obtained considerable
services from the cynocephaluS, or vari-
ETY. of baboon, an animal SO remarkable
for its intelligence that it was selected
by them as the symbol of intellect
Button describes female chimbanzee
at Loango which could make the beds,
sweep the house, and help turn the spit.
Houzeau expresses the opinion that
these female monkeys would make ex-
cellent nurses for children, their milk
being exceedingly rich in butter.
Nine. Roger, therefore, comes to the
conclusion that time is coming when
these races, bred by man, will render
great services in daily life and industry,
and will contribute to the general pro
gress." There is nothing in such a
predication, she continues, which does
not rest on scientific premises, and moth
ing in it to laugh at, after the manner
of the smart young men who are now
getting up furry articles on Mr.. Parkes'
= experiment.
The ape is unquestionably the most
intelligent and the most manlike of the
lower animals, both physically and men
tally and morally. He may be far away
from the superior races of men in in
tellect, but the difference between him
and the lower races is much less mark
ed. The black chimpanzees of Africa
have feasts like those of the negroes.
They live in communities, fight in con-
cert, and care for their wounded. They
are very clever in the use of their hands
and arms, throwing stones better than
street boys. Buttons black chimpan-
zee knew how to unlock door, and if
he did not find the key in the lock, would
hunt for it. The monkey took its meals
like well-bred person, ate with spoon
and fork, used plate, and served itself
with wine. In one of her letters from
the MalayPeninsula, Miss Bird describes
a dinner to which she was invited,
and at which her companions were two
apes. "The apes had their curry, chat
ney, pineapple, eggs, and bananas on
porcelain, and so had l." writes the
sps W h ady a nhR n SpsaS 9
of the family of the British resident at
Klang, as walking on its hind legs, and
going along quietly by her side like a
human escort. 1t had not even a rudi-
mentary tail, and when it sat with its
arms folded it looked like ga gentleman
ly person in close fitting suit"
The worse defect of monkeys is that
they are inveterate thieves. They look
upon stealing as fun, and therefore will
pilfer even when they have no desire
for what they take. Nine. Roger tells
us that "they are capable of sacking a
house and carrying off everything NOV
able off in it with the system and con-
cert of a band ofrobbers. They observe
kind of discipline in their operations,
and post their scouts to inform them in
season when it is time to run away"
The monkeys in Sumatra, according
to Cesare Moreno, steal fruits and veg
etables from gardens, and will plumber
houses. "Forming line, in order to
pass their spoils from hand to hand,
@.i>-y ---l-- sl-- ---ll-, ---s-- tl-~ 1~~.s
or windows, and leisurely pillage all
they can find" They are also very
greedy, and will get tipsy when they
have the chance, and a drunken ape
seems more like man than ever.
If, therefore, Nine. Rogers predic-
ton is verified that the time is coming
when apes will be added to the indus
trial force, it will probably become ne
cessary to increase our police protection,
unless pious education shall succeed in
conquering the natural depravity of the